Bridle-bit



UNTTED STATES PATENT orrucn.

A. L. WEYMOUTI-I, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BRIDLE-BIT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 32,933, dated July 30, 1861.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, A. L. IVEYMOUTH, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of h/Iassachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Bit for Taming or Subduing Vicious Horses; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specication, in which- Figure 1 isa side view of my invention applied to a horse. Fig. 2 is a detached bottom or face view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section of the same taken in the line w, fc, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate cord responding parts in the three igures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a bit by which perfect control may be had over vicious horses, and to this end I construct the bit in such a manner that it will expand in the mouth of the horse and keep the mouth in a distended or open state so that the animal cannot grasp with his teeth the ordinary bridle bit and render the same inoperative or powerless.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a strap which may be con structed of leather or lother suitable material. This strap passes over the head of the horse and is secured in proper posit-ion by a throat latch B.

C is the bit which is connected by chains a, to the ends of the strap A. The bit C is formed of two cross bars Z), b,-one b, having a slot or mortise at its center to allow the other 7X, to pass through, the two bars being connected by a pin c, on which they are allowed to work freely.

The end of each bar is bent inward, at right angles to its main portion, as shown at (I, and there is a chain a, attached to each part d, the chains a, are connected to the strap A, by means of buckles 1),-one at each cnd of the strap.

The bar is provided with a rack or series of teeth e, near one end, and the bar o, ata point directly opposite the teeth e, is provided with a pawl E, which, by means of springs f, f, are kept engaged with the teeth e, of bar b. The springs f, f, are Sufficiently strong to not only keep the pawl E, engaged with the rack teeth e, but to keep the bars b, If, distended when not restrained.

The device is used as follows The bit C, is placed in the mouth of the animal directly in front of the ordinary bit, the strap A, being placed over the bridle. The bit C, is closed, the bars b, b, being tied together by a piece of string in order to facilitate the insertion of the bit in the mouth of the animal. After the bit is inserted in the mouth of the animal the bars Z), b', may be released and the springs f, f, will have a tendency to distend the bars and will do so each time the animal opens its jaws, the pawl E, retaining the bars Z), b, or preventing them from closing. It will be seen therefore that the mouth of the animal will soon become distended so that he will have no power over the ordinary bit, and he will be under the complete control of the driver or rider. By this means, it is believed that vicious horses may be completely subdued, as the chief means of their resistance is in the mouth, and when that organ is rendered powerless, submission, if gentle treatment be used will follow.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The employment or use of an expanding bit, arranged or provided with a rack, pawl and a spring or springs to operate as and for the purpose herein set forth.

AURELIUS L. VVEYMOUTH.

Titnesses IVM. J. Fons-HTH, J. H. FERGUSON. 

